OzAnimals Travel

Archive for the ‘Queensland’ Category

Snakes Downunder Reptile Park is located near Childers in Queensland. The park is run by Ian Jenkins who has been handling snakes for over 40 years. Ian has long had a fascination for snakes, having grown up in Africa where his father had an interest in snakes. After moving to Australia in 1980, Ian had the opportunity to pursue his interest in snakes. He started off dong school talks about ten years ago, and built an arena where school groups could learn about snakes. This venture developed into Snakes Downunder Reptile Park.

Brisbane Whale Watching offers humpback whale watching tours on the luxury whale vessel ‘Eye-Spy’ from Redcliffe on Moreton Bay just thirty minutes north of Brisbane. Brisbane Whale Watching has been operating tours from Redcliffe for over eight years. The Eye Spy was built by South Pacific Marine at Burpengary and launched in Brisbane in 2002. The catamaran is owned an operated by Captain Kerry Lopez from Brisbane.

The MV Eye-Spy is a luxury catamaran with six decks for viewing the whales, and air-conditioned cabins with glass from ceiling to floor.. There is full 360 degree walk around access on the lower and upper decks. The vessel caters for disabled with wheelchair facilities. The catamaran takes up to 320 passengers.

Couran Cove Island Resort is situated on South Stradbroke Island, Queensland, a 40 minute ferry ride away from the Gold Coast. The resort is set in natural surroundings with white sandy beaches, lush palm rainforest and native Australian wildlife in and around the resort. Developed in 1998, Couran Cove Island Resort is a leader in large-scale Ecotourism with a blend of first-class facilities and nature based activities. South Stradbroke Island is about 22km long with surf beach all along the east coast, and is only 2.4km at its widest. The resort marina and most of the resort complex is on the sheltered mainland side of the island where the island is at its widest.

Rockhampton Zoo is situated in the Botanic Gardens next to the Murray Lagoon in Rockhampton, Queensland. The Zoo is home to over fifty species of native and exotic animals. Established in 1869, the Rockhampton Zoo has become a popular a tourist attraction and educational facility. The zoo is committed to the conservation of endangered Central Queensland animals.

The Kangaroos and Wallabies are very friendly. Red Kangaroos, Eastern Grey Kangaroos, Common Wallaroos and Agile Wallabies roam freely in grassy paddocks where visitors can walk amongst them. Other native mammals include Common Wombats and Dingoes.

Lizard Island is a continental island located on the Great Barrier Reef, 240km north of Cairns and 27km off the coast of North Queensland. Lizard Island and associated smaller islands is the only island group close to the outer barrier reef. Lizard Island is about 4.5km by 3.5 km and is surrounded by clear blue waters and fringing reefs. More than half of the island in grassland, with areas of woodland, heaths, paperbark swamps and mangroves are also found on the island. Lizard Island is home to Gould’s sand monitor, the lizard after which the island was named by James Cook during his exploration of Australia in 1770.

Heron Island is a true coral cay located right on the Great Barrier Reef. The resort is spread over about one third of the island at one end and the rest is covered in natural vegetation including thick areas of Pisonia forest. The island is only about 800m long and 250m wide, so you really have the feel of being on an island. Heron is world famous for its fantastic scuba diving and snorkeling. Here you can swim straight off the beach and snorkel amongst coral with a huge variety of fish swimming right up to your mask. There more than 30 dive sites around the island, half of them are only 15 minutes from the beach.

Wilson Island is located just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, about 72km north east of Gladstone and 15 kilometres from nearby Heron Island. For those that are looking for a secluded peaceful holiday on an unspoiled tropical island, Wilson Island is hard to beat. It is a tiny coral cay sitting right on the Great Barrier Reef surrounded by pristine reef and beaches. Wilson Island accommodates a maximum of 12 guests who can enjoy fantastic snorkeling, island walks, reef walks, bird watching, or just relaxing in the beautiful peaceful setting. With the island only 250m from one side to the other, you really enjoy the island castaway experience. This would be a fabulous place for a honeymoon couple, or for those who just want to get away from it all for a while. Children 12 years and under are not catered for on Wilson Island.

Lady Elliot Island is a small island on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef within the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The resort on the island, Lady Elliot Island Eco Resort, is popular with families, groups and individuals, who want to snorkel, swim or dive and enjoy the wonders of the reef. The reef lagoon provides sheltered waters for beginners, with deeper waters for experienced snorkelers and divers to explore.

The Darling Downs Zoo is a small regional zoo situated on the eastern Darling Downs in Queensland, between Toowoomba and Warwick. The zoo is privately owned by Steve and Stephanie Robinson who have extensive animal keeping experience from their Robinson circus background.

The zoo which opened in 2005 features animals from Africa, South America, South-east Asia as well as Australia. The aim is to eventually display representatives of the reptile, bird and mammal life of each of these regions of the world.

Reef HQ in Townsville is the world’s largest living coral reef showcasing the wonders of the Great Barrier Reef in a 2.5 million litre aquarium. Reef HQ was built as a Bicentennial Commemorative project and opened in Townsville in 1987. As the National Education Centre for the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Reef HQ also plays an important role in education of the biology and care of the reef.